Table of contents:
When pregnant, you may feel hot easily. This happens not only due to weather changes, but due to an increase in body temperature. Coupled with the erratic outdoor weather, moods are easy to change. Is this normal? The following is the explanation.
Why do pregnant women often feel hot?
According to Adelaide Nardone, MD, an ob-gyn in Providence, Rhode Island, and a medical advisor to Vagisil Women's Health Center quoted by webMD, changes in body temperature are experienced by pregnant women; also known as heat intolerance. Your body temperature rises because you have about 40% more blood pumping your body to supply the needs of your unborn baby. The energy needed to move around during pregnancy can also make you feel warm. In addition, your heart will enlarge and shift slightly to one side as your uterus is also expanding over the course of several months. This will make your body work harder to stay cool.
Heat, especially hot weather, will make you sweaty and dehydrated easily. When you are excessively dehydrated it will cause muscle weakness, cramps, and in severe cases some pregnant women can experience loss of consciousness.
Compressing with cold water applied to the back of the neck, on the forehead, and on your head is good for keeping your body temperature down. Make sure you also drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, at least 8 glasses of water or use electrolyte replacement fluids such as orange juice and milk, when you are outside, sweating, and in hot weather.
What are the ways you can do to keep your body cool?
There are several ways you might try to deal with the heat, such as:
- Swimming not only cools your body, it can also help you lose weight. According to Ann Douglas, author The Mother of All Pregnancy Books quoted by WebMD, swimming is a good sport for pregnant women
- Wear comfortable clothes. You can choose clothes that can absorb sweat, made of cotton. This will keep you cool and help avoid the heat under your breasts and tummy; problems that are often experienced by pregnant women.
- Carry water in a sprayable bottle, you can use it whenever it starts to feel hot.
- If you want to exercise, do it in shady weather. Also avoid sports that can cause you to overheat. However, before exercising, you should first consult your gynecologist to find out whether there is a risk for pregnancy or not.
- Breathing exercises can also keep you feeling cool. You can take yoga classes for pregnant women, because you can also practice breathing to prepare for birth.
- Avoid direct sunlight, because pregnant women tend to burn more easily than those who are not pregnant.
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activities during hot weather outside.
- If you feel weak, tired, dizzy, feel 'high' or thirsty when it's hot, it's best to get indoors right away. Lie down and drink water. If you do not feel a good change, you should immediately consult a doctor.
- Buy a small fan with battery so you can carry it everywhere, you can use it when it's hot.
- Make your bedroom feel cool. When you are at home all day, you can open the bedroom window, but close the curtains to avoid incoming sunlight. Taking a cold shower (plain water) before bed can also be used to treat the heat at night, but make sure you don't sweat before showering. If you can't stand the heat you feel in the middle of the night, you can take a shower again. Try when you decide to take a shower, you don't feel cold.
- Avoid caffeine. Caffeine can increase your blood pressure and your core body temperature. In addition, caffeine drinks can irritate your bladder, so you will need to go to the bathroom more often.
- Eat cold or fresh food. You can choose for those that are rich in water, such as melon, watermelon, berries, fruit salad, cucumber, and lettuce. Cold fruit soup, fruit juices, popsicles, and even spinach can also make your body feel refreshed. According to Adela Hamilton, a lecturer in midwifery at City University in London, natural yogurt straight from the refrigerator with pieces of fruit is also good for consumption.
